Japanese Cheesecake

Makes 6-8 Servings

Cooking + Prep Time:  1 hour & 55 minutes + 3 hours chilling time

Ingredients:

• 1 x 8-oz. pkg. of softened cream cheese, low fat
• 4 tbsp. of softened butter, unsalted
• 1/2 cup of sugar, granulated
• A pinch of salt, kosher
• 5 eggs, large, separated
• 1/2 cup of room temperature sour cream, low fat
• 1 packed tsp. of lemon zest
• 2 tbsp. + 1 tsp lemon juice, fresh
• 1/3 cup of flour, cake
• 2 tbsp. of corn starch

Instructions:

1. Adjust your oven rack into mid-lower position. Preheat oven to 340F. Grease sides and bottom of 8” x 3” spring-form pan. Wrap bottom 1/2 of pan using foil. Create a waterproof seal in this way. Set pan in roasting pan.

2. In stand mixer with paddle attachment fitted, beat butter, cream cheese, salt & 2 tbsp. sugar using med. speed till mixture is creamy. Scrape sides down as needed.

3. Beat in lemon zest and egg yolks till mixture is smooth, usually 30 seconds or so. Replace the paddle attachment using a whisk attachment. Whisk in sour cream and 2 tbsp. of lemon juice at med. speed till combined well.

4. Sift in flour and corn starch over batter. Whisk till combined completely. Transfer the mixture to large sized bowl. Wash, then dry the bowl of your stand mixer.

5. Use mixer whisk attachment to beat egg whites and 1 tsp. lemon juice at high speed, till mixture is frothy. Add remaining sugar slowly and continue whipping till you have medium peaks.

6. Fold 1/3 of meringue into batter till nearly combined. Fold in remainder of meringue gently in two additional batches.

7. Pour batter into spring-form pan. Set on oven rack. Pour 2” of hot water into roasting pan. Bake till cake is barely firm in middle and golden in color, 40-45 minutes.

8. Remove roasting pan from the oven. Allow spring-form pan to stay in its water bath for 1/2 hour. Set it on your wire rack to cool for 30 more minutes. Chill for three hours or so, till it sets. Serve.